Pour boiling water over the sun-dried tomatoes and let them steep until moistened, about 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, place the basil leaves, tomatoes, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan. Begin to process or puree adding the olive oil a little at a time as you process, stopping to scrape down the sides as you go. Blend until the pesto is a smooth paste. Adjust the oil if it seems dry. cover and chill for 2 hours. Serve at room temperature on warm toasted bread. Or try it tossed with hot pasta or spread on pizza dough.